Slum Village - Fantastic Vol. 2

01. Intro
02. Conant Gardens (4.25)
03. I Don't Know (Feat. Dj Jazzy Jeff) (4.5)
04. Jealousy (4.25)
05. Climax (Girl Shit) (5)
06. Hold Tight (Feat. Q-Tip) (4.5)
07. Tell Me (Feat. D'Angelo) (4.75)
08. What It's All About (Feat. Busta Rhymes) (4.5)
09. Forth and Back (Feat. Kurupt) (4.5)
10. Untitled (Fantastic) (4.25)
11. Fall In Love (4.5)
12. Get Dis Money (5)
13. Raise It Up (4.5)
14. Once Upon a Time (Feat. Pete Rock) (4.5)
15. Players (5)
16. Eyes Up (4.25)
17. 2U4U (4.5)
18. CB4 (4.25)
19. Go Ladies (4)

It's obvious J Dilla is a legend, no question. But just like many other talented artists who've passed, their notoriety grows after their death. Few outside the (much smaller) hip-hop realm back before the Internet blew up held J Dilla in high regard, even if they were familiar with his works with Busta Rhymes, ATCQ, and others. Of course that all changed in 2006, but back in the '90s was when he established himself as a high-quality producer who could rhyme every now and then. Fantastic Vol. 2 is when this all comes to a head. The production here is easily SV's best, and the lyrics fit the production nearly perfectly, even if it's not the most technically amazing work ever. Things just feel right for much of the album, and the few slip ups are rarely skippable. Baatin and T3 work the album well, though there are few standout verses from either of the three lyricists. Everything just feels like it blends together well; few things stand out in an excellent or terrible way. The entire album's soulful approach to rhyming really set it off as being a workable concept that many others followed back then, to this day, and I'm sure we'll continue seeing Dilla tributes in the future. His legacy lives on.

Sample Tracks

"Climax (Girl Shit")


"Get Dis Money"


"Players"


Beats & Production: 9.5/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 8/10

Creativity & Originality: 9.5/10

Overall Grade: 90%

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